Okay, so I got really bored and wrote another chapter!! Keep those reviews coming!!
Happy-fox-girl: I know, I was just fooling with you. :c)
Let the story continue!!
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"VEGETA!!" Goku yelled as he flew to his friend.
Goku immediately extended his ki shield to share his air with Vegeta. Vegeta started breathing right away, but it was ragged and shallow.
"Wait! Vegeta was carrying some Senzu Beans!" Goku started searching Vegeta for the bag that held the beans. Goku finally found part of the bag, burned and torn, but no Senzu Beans were within.
"Damned it! They must have gotten vaporized!" Goku said.
"Kaioshin! Can you heal him?" Goku said.
"Of course! I will try." Kaioshin moved over to Goku and placed his hands on Vegeta's chest. Kaioshin screamed and was repelled from Vegeta's body.
"Unnggghh!" Kaioshin floated semi-conscious.
"What happened?" Goku said.
"Vegeta was hit with a dark or negative energy. I cannot heal him as long as it's in his body." Kaioshin said weakly but rapidly regaining his strength. "Come on, we have to get back to camp!"
Goku grabbed The Supreme Kai just as another beam emerged from the distortion, aimed right at Goku's heart. An instant later, the three of them materialized in front of Uub and Bura.
"What happened Goku?" Uub jumped up to help them.
"Dad! What happened to Vegeta?" Bura exclaimed.
"We were ambushed!" Goku said. "Something beyond that distortion in the sky attacked us!"
Trunks Jr. ran up. "Goku What happened! I felt Grandpa's ki go to almost nothing!"
"Never mind! Save the explanations! Bring him and follow me!" Bura said.
Bura led them all to a Capsule House that Bura had been using as a lab. She placed a hand on a panel near the door.
"Identity Confirmed as Bura Vegeta Briefs." The computer generated voice said as the door slid open.
"Bring him in!" Bura said.
Bura went over to a small chamber and started pushing buttons. "This is a recovery chamber like the Saiyans used to have. Father dictated the schematics to me some years ago. These three are prototypes. "
"Yes, I remember they are like the ones that Vegeta stuck me in while we were on Namek years ago." Goku said
"Yes. The only problem is that I only have half of the synthetic Saiyan DNA fluid that I need to make this work. That's where you come in Goku. You will have to supply the rest of the DNA needed to heal father." Bura looked up at the only other full blooded Saiyan in town.
"Will this involve needles?" Goku winced.
"Afraid so." Bura smiled.
Several seconds passed.
"Ok, I'll do it!" Goku finally said.
"Ok, lie on that table and roll up your sleeve."
Goku did what he was told and looked the other way as a robotic arm slid out of the restoration chamber and stuck Goku in the arm.
"Ok, the machine will now replicate Goku's DNA and create the solution. It will go much faster than trying to replicate synthetic DNA." Bura explained.
Goku had passed out.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"Where am I now?" Vegeta said.
Vegeta found himself walking in a place void of any sort of light, but yet he could see.
"This is all familiar. Wait! This is the Nexus! How did I get here?" Vegeta thought out loud.
"You are here at my request." A voice sounded, the voice was immediately recognized.
"Your request? And where are you?" Vegeta answered.
Suddenly the grayness in the Nexus swirled and started to take form. Buildings, and people, and transportation devices, plants and trees all took shape and became solid.
Vegeta gasped. "T-this is Vegeta-sai!" Vegeta turned and found that he was in front of the royal palace.
One of the Saiyan Elite Guards approached Vegeta and bowed low. Vegeta recognized the man, but couldn't remember his name. "You're Nappa's Uncle, or something, aren't you?"
"Yes sire, my name is Romaine. Welcome home." Romaine said with a smile. "Your father requests your presence at once."
"At once is it?" Vegeta smirked. "Well, what the king wants, the king shall have."
Vegeta placed two fingers on his forehead and locked on to his father's ki.
"Hello father, it's been a long time." Vegeta stated plainly.
"You have always been full of surprises son." King Vegeta said.
It was Vegeta's turn to be surprised. "Was that affection I heard in his voice?"
"I recently had the opportunity to meet your son. Trunks. Fine lad, you should be proud." King Vegeta said.
"You met Trunks? Yes, yes I am proud." Vegeta stammered.
Vegeta noticed that his father was not wearing a halo. "Hold on a second, am I dead? Is this Hell? I thought I was redeemed!" Vegeta looked to see if he had a halo as well.
"No, you're not dead my son. This is not Hell, and you have been redeemed." King Vegeta smiled.
"Why am I here!" Vegeta demanded.
"Two reasons. First, I have been given the opportunity to be redeemed. Which as you recall involves a lot of pride eating, and apologizing to those that you have wronged in your life." King Vegeta said. "You are one of those people son. In fact, you are the one I most wronged out of anyone."
"W-what are you saying father?" Vegeta stammered.
King Vegeta closed the gap between himself and his son and laid his hands on the Prince's shoulders.
"I am saying that, that.. Well.. I'm sorry son. I'm sorry for not being there when you needed me, I'm sorry for giving you to that monster, and I'm sorry for not telling you how very… how very proud I have been of you." King Vegeta stammered. "Can you ever forgive me?"
Vegeta was in a little bit of shock. "I already have father. Of course."
"Is this how Trunks felt all those years ago. I feel as if my entire life has had meaning after all. Just a few words from my father, and I feel complete and whole!" Vegeta thought.
Vegeta looked up at his taller father. "Do you really mean that father?"
King Vegeta smiled broadly. "Every single word my son."
"Thank you father." Vegeta pulled his father in and embraced him. After a second hesitation, King Vegeta returned the embrace.
It was a short and rather uncomfortable embrace, but it was a good start towards healing the wounds between them.
"So father, what was the other reason you wanted me here?" Vegeta asked.
"That beam you were hit with, it was a beam of dark energy. It will try to darken your heart while you are unconscious. You will have to fight it. Do you remember the legendary Sword of the Saiyans?" King Vegeta asked.
"Yes, but it was just a legend, wasn't it?" Vegeta answered.
"No, we allowed everyone to think that so no one would search for it, or try to steal it." King Vegeta said. "Follow me."
Vegeta followed his father down into the very bowels of the palace. Finally they came to a door long sealed with the crest of the house of Vegeta.
"This door was sealed by your Great, Great, Great Grandfather. He sealed it away because there was no Saiyan left worthy of wielding the sword." King Vegeta said. "He was a good man."
"What happened Father?" Vegeta said.
"War, power, corruption, and those damned icejins." King Vegeta looked at his feet shamefully.
"I see." Vegeta said.
"Son. Through trails of fire and ice you have risen a purified Saiyan of the ruling class. The first one in three generations. You may be able to wield the sword." King Vegeta said.
"Why is the sword so special father?" Vegeta asked.
"I don't really know son, but legend says that the sword was forged of pure positive energy, and nothing evil can stand before it." King Vegeta answered. "If that is true, then it will come in handy against this threat."
"What do I need to do?" Vegeta said.
"Place your hand on the seal, and if your heart is pure, then you will be given the sword." King Vegeta said.
Vegeta reached his hand out towards the seal. "Just out of curiosity, did you ever try this father?"
"Ummm… yes, when I was very young. I didn't get the sword." King Vegeta smirked.
Vegeta closed his eyes and laid his hand on the seal.
The seal broke in two, and fell to the floor. The door swung open freely.
"Well that was a bit.. Anticlimactic." King Vegeta said. "No bright lights, no nothing!" The King sounded disappointed.
"Yeah, well let's see what's inside." Vegeta entered the room.
Inside, motion detectors turned on the lights and cast a spotlight on a statue in the middle of the room. The Statue held a sword, which best resembled a 12th Century Scottish Claymore. Surprisingly, the sword lacked any sort of ornamentation and was quite plain to look at.
"Is that it?" Vegeta asked.
"I guess. I've never seen it before, my father told me about it before he died." King Vegeta said. "Go and see if you can get it."
"Okay, I guess." Vegeta cautiously approached the statue as he drew closer he noticed that the sword was surrounded by a soft white glow. Vegeta slowly reached out to take the sword.
"Stand fast and identify yourself." A voice from the statue said.
"I am Prince Vegeta of the House Vegeta. I have come for the sword." Vegeta stated plainly.
"Step into the light and show your worth!" The voice said.
A beam of purple light appeared next to Vegeta. Vegeta put his hand it and quickly removed it without ill effect, so he stepped fully into the light.
"Ah yes. Interesting. The fallen Prince of the Saiyans has been redeemed. The heart of a villain has given way to the heart of a heroic warrior. You are worthy to wield the Saiyan Sword of Light!"
The statue moved into a kneeling position with the sword held above its head. Vegeta reached and took a gold of the sword. Blinding light began to pour from the sword causing Vegeta to shield his eyes. When the light cleared, the sword was gone.
"What happened?" Vegeta wondered.
"Look at your right handed forearm." The voice said.
Vegeta looked where he was told to look, and starting just above the wrist and ending just before the crook of his arm was a tattoo of the sword he just held.
"You and the sword are now one, it will be there when you need it." The voice said. "The sword yields great power to those who can wield it. Now go, your time grows short."
"My time?" Vegeta said.
"Your body struggles for life my son, and you will struggle for your identity. You must go now." King Vegeta said, and everything vanished. His father's last words were still ringing in his ears.
"I love you my son." King Vegeta said. "I will see you soon."
Vegeta suddenly found himself struggling to breath through the an air mask. He struggled to keep consciousness but failed. His chest felt like it was on fire. Vegeta slipped back into his coma.
Vegeta found himself floating in darkness again.
"So, you've decided to rejoin your body after all did you?" A strange voice shot out of the darkness.
Vegeta found himself laying on something that seemed solid, so he stood up to confront whatever was speaking.
"Well, it is my body you know." Vegeta smiled.
"For now, only for now." The voice said.
"Who are you?" Vegeta said.
"I am the small amount of blackness that still exists in your soul Prince Vegeta." The voice returned.
"Geez! With all this redemption, and cleansing, and purifications and all you would think that there wouldn't be any darkness left." Vegeta quipped.
"Admittedly, there isn't much to work with, but it's my job to make it grow." The voice said.
Vegeta felt a chill, something was approaching from behind. Vegeta turned by nothing was there.
"You really should join me willingly Vegeta. Together we could rule every realm!" Vegeta said.
"Would that be before or after you turned me over to your master Cordell as a slave?" Vegeta said.
"Oh, so we're smarter that we look are we? No matter, I will still feast upon your soul and you will serve the master irregardless." The voice continued.
"Shut up and do what you're going to do!" Vegeta said impatiently.
Suddenly a huge black wall of evil loomed up in front of Vegeta, it came crashing down and covered him completely. Vegeta's right forearm began to glow like fire, and the sword was in his hand once again. The blackness screamed as the light of the sword enveloped it. Vegeta slashed at the thing and it screamed the sound of the damned. The sword glowed, illuminating every nook and cranny of Vegeta's mindscape until the thing was no more.
"Prince Vegeta serves no one monster!" And the sword once again forged itself into Vegeta's arm.
The next thing Vegeta remembers is waking up to the worried eyes of his daughter, grandson, and Goku, and the rest of the gang, including Lumbistru. Bura had started draining the restoration tank he was in and he felt like his old self again.
Bura and Pan left the room so that Vegeta could get dressed.
"Welcome back Vegeta. Thought we lost you for a while." Goku smiled.
"Thanks Kakkarot. I had the weirdest dreams. I dreamed I was……" Vegeta trailed off as he examined his right forearm. There, just as he "dreamed" was the tattoo of the sword his father led him to.
"What was you dreaming Vegeta?" Goku asked.
"Never mind Kakkarot. It was just a dream, I don't remember all of it." Vegeta fibbed.
"Oh, okay. Where did you get that tattoo? You didn't have that before you got zapped, did you?" Goku asked.
Vegeta put on his shirt. "You ask way too many questions Kakkarot, did you know that?"
"You tell me that all the time Vegeta." Goku gave Vegeta his biggest, goofiest, grins. "You know I'm just worried about you my friend."
Vegeta had to chuckle in spite of himself. "I know old friend, I know. How the hell long was I in the restoration tank for anyways?"
"Almost two days." Goku said.
"Two days! Anything happen while I was out?" Vegeta asked.
"No. Supreme Kai has been monitoring the distortion, from far away of course, but nothing new seems to be happening." Goku said.
Just about that time, the Supreme Kai walked into the room. He stopped in front of Vegeta and seemed to be examining him in some way.
"Amazing. Yesterday you were full of dark energy, and today there's not a trace of it left." Kaioshin said as he continued his examination. "In fact, there seems to be some new source of light within you. Do you know what that is Vegeta."
"Something my father gave me." Was all Vegeta would say.
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"Level 7659 and dropping." Jessica said. "I still don't feel anything threatening."
"I expected more resistance than this." Piccolo said.
"Do you think that Cordell has sensed our presence and has planned an ambush?" Roger asked.
Piccolo thought for a moment. "Yeah, actually that is the most likely scenario, isn't it? To take all the baddies from these levels and put them all in one place to attack us. That's what I would do if I were Cordell."
"Jessica, how far down can you sense?" Piccolo asked.
"I can sense all the way to the bottom of the shaft, beyond that is hazy at best. There seems to be a null energy field that is blocking my perceptions." Jessica replied.
"Ok, then let's take this thing to the bottom of the shaft." Piccolo said. "Double our speed."
"You got it my Captain." Roger said and propelled the bobble downward.
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Meanwhile, 90,000 years into the future.
"King Vegeta, are your people ready to go into battle?" Tao Kaioshin asked.
"For the right cause Ultimate Kai." King Vegeta smirked.
"Of course. Have you mastered the Super Saiyan Four transformation?" Tao Kaioshin asked.
"I've gone beyond it sir. Myself and about a handful of my people have gone Super Saiyan Five. The rest of our people are Super Saiyan Three and above." King Vegeta was proud of his people's accomplishments.
"And they have all drilled with the dark energy? This is very important that they can use their ki to keep the dark energy away from their skin." Tao Kaioshin asked.
"They have sir. My people are battle ready!" King Vegeta pronounced. "Give us our first mission!"
"I will give you your first mission, from that time on you will command your people, as it should be." Tao Kaioshin said. "You will enter the demon realm, and attack Cordell's forces."
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"What is going on!" Goku suddenly turned and exclaimed.
"What is it now Kakkarot?" Vegeta demanded to know.
"It happened again! Like someone took an entire planet of high powered people and just shifted them some place else! Only these powers were huge!! One of them higher than even my own! What is going on out there!" Goku started to put two fingers to his head to go and see when the Supreme Kai stopped him.
"No Goku, your place is here for now." Kaioshin said. "All will be revealed to you when the time is right."
Goku stomped off muttering about not liking secrets.
"Sort of childish, isn't he?" Kaioshin asked no one in particular.
"Yeah, but I got to agree, I don't like all these secrets either." Vegeta said.
Suddenly something that had been bothering him about his "dream" earlier finally presented itself in his mind. Neither Romaine nor his father was wearing halos. Does that mean they are alive?